Gates of Vienna News Feed 3/23/2023

President Biden’s “vaccine” mandate has been blocked by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Meanwhile, the president’s approval rating dropped to a new low of 38%, according to a recent poll.

In other news, a German policeman was wounded during a shootout with a right-wing group that wants to overthrow the Bundesrepublik and reinstate the Kaiser.

To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.

Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, GvP, LP, McN, Reader from Chicago, SS, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.

Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.

Financial Crisis
» Dutch Central Bank Reports First Loss Since 1931 Amid Rising Interest Rates
» Germans Warned of More Inflation
» Lloyd’s of London Set to Take a Hit of Hundreds of Millions of Pounds as Financial Market Turmoil Takes Its Toll
» Watch: Federal Reserve Head is Questioned on Controversial “Debanking of Disfavored Individuals”
 
USA
» 1% of Democrat Counties Make Up 42% of America’s Murders
» Biden White House Urges Xi Jinping to Call Zelensky
» Biden’s Vaccine Mandate for Federal Workers Blocked by Appeals Court
» Biden’s Approval Rating Drops to Near Low: Poll
» Bill Gates: ‘The Age of Artificial Intelligence Has Begun’
» Breaking: Judge Removes Jury to Admonish Far-Left Reporter for Causing a Scene During Meme Trial of Douglass Mackey
» CDC Focused on Developing DEI Training Amid Peak School Shutdowns, Documents Show
» Chicago Mayoral Candidate Praises DA Who Dropped Charges Against Jussie Smollett: ‘Incredible’ Integrity
» Confronted With Data From Just the News, Blinken Concedes Concern About China Bioweapons Program
» Cracker Barrel Joins Walmart in Leaving Portland Amid Rising Crime
» Desantis’ Ukraine U-Turn: Florida Governor Now Says His ‘Territorial Dispute’ Comments Were ‘Mischaracterized’, Calls Putin a War Criminal and Says Russia is ‘Basically a Gas Station With a Nuclear Weapons’
» DeSantis Says He Would Ban TikTok Nationwide if Given the Authority: ‘I Don’t Want Our Kids On’ This Stuff
» DeSantis Smirks at Reporter Question About NAACP Advising Black Americans Not to Go to Florida: ‘What a Joke’
» DeSantis Says Ukraine Comments Were ‘Mischaracterized, ‘ Calls Putin a War Criminal and Russia ‘A Gas Station With a Nuclear Weapons’
» DeSantis Walks Back Characterization of Russian War on Ukraine as a ‘Territorial Dispute’
» Doctor Stripped of Board Certification Over ‘COVID-19 Misinformation’
» Elon Musk Trolls Top House Dem: ‘That’s What She Said’
» Elon Musk Humiliates Biden for Trying to Brag About Admin: ‘The Banks Are Melting’
» Even Biden’s Hometown Has Serious Doubts About Him Running in 2024: Scranton Residents Say They Are Worried About the 80-Year-Old’s Health and Insist We ‘Need Someone Fresh’
» Hollywood Celebs Charged by SEC for ‘Illegally Touting’ Securities Without Revealing They Were Getting Paid
» Home Invasion Suspects Shot, Killed by Texas Man
» ‘Horrific’ Ruling: SCOTUS Refuses to Hear Case of NY Students Denied Vaccine Health Exemptions
» House Fails to Override Biden Veto Upholding ESG Rule
» Idaho’s Move to Resurrect Firing Squad ‘Makes Sense’ as ‘Quickest, Surest’ Death Penalty Option, Expert Says
» Jim Jordan Gets Win as Manhattan DA Agrees to Hand Over Some Documents
» Jim Jordan Says Liberal Groups May Have Broken Anti-Trust Laws by Blocking Conservative Advertisers
» Judge Throws Book at Chicago Carjacker Who Boasted He’d be ‘Out by Sunday’
» Kari Lake Scores Win as Arizona Supreme Court Sends Part of Her Lawsuit Back to Trial Court
» Las Vegas Cops Get Last Laugh After Cackling Shoplifter Brags She’ll ‘Never’ Be Caught
» Lawmakers Push to Ban China From Buying U.S. Farmland
» Manhattan DA in Disarray, Abruptly Cancels Trump Grand Jury Session
» Matt Gaetz: Biden’s Rape Accuser Tara Reade to Testify Before Congress on Sexual Assault Allegations
» Minneapolis News Station Uses Public Transport, Sees Open Drug Use, Drug Deal Making
» Newsweek Peddles Fake News About U.S. Veteran Destroying 7 Russian Tanks in Ukraine — Report
» NJ Councilwoman Murder: Slain Republican’s Family Calls for Justice 7 Weeks After Unsolved Killing
» OpenAI Co-Founder Creates Digital ID Protocol
» Oregon Residents May Secede Over ‘East-West’ Political Divide: ‘Not a Unified State to Me Anymore’
» Pentagon Official Forced to Read Anti-White Statements From Its Diversity Chief in Congressional Hearing
» Police Chief Fires Officer, Releases Video of Shooting Death
» Portland Resident Delivers Ominous Warning After Threats From Homeless Man: ‘Something’s Going to Happen’
» San Francisco Board of Supervisors Member Calls for $50 Million ‘Office of Reparations’: ‘It is Time’
» SCOTUS Hears Trademark Suit Between Jack Daniels and Dog Toy Company That Parodies Their Brand
» Shock Video: Armed Suspect Robs NYC Jewelry Store for Second Time in Weeks
» Teenager Dies Suddenly on American Airlines Flight After Suffering Cardiac Arrest
» Truth Social Promos Propel Three Songs to iTunes #1
» US Military Reports Significant Challenges Recruiting Youth
» US Trying to ‘Cover Up’ Nord Stream Sabotage Role — Seymour Hersh
» Video Shows Man Stabbing Bus Passenger 33 Times as Driver Continues Route
» Video: Rand Paul Grills Blinken on Stonewalling of COVID Origin Investigation
 
Canada
» Academics Write Letter Blasting “Racist” Election Interference Claims
» Alberta, Provinces Argue Against “No More Pipelines” Bill
» Liberal MP Resigns From Party Over Allegations He Told China to Delay Release of Canadian Prisoners
» Nearly One Million Fewer Surgeries Completed During Pandemic
» RCMP Arrest Suspected Montreal Terrorist
» Saskatchewan Hedges Against Federal Fertilizer Meddling
» Smith Says Conservatives Need to Offer Vision on Public Service Delivery
» Trudeau Gov’t Gave Info of Freedom Convoy Supporters to Chinese Banks: Report
» Trudeau Office Texts Show Pressure Already on Banks to Freeze Protesters’ Accounts Before Emergencies Act
» Trudeau Government Still Advertising on China’s Tik Tok Despite Ban
 
Europe and the EU
» EU Told Dutch Govt to Double Down on Forced Farm Closures to Gain ‘More Flexibility’ on Green Regulations
» Financially-Strapped Vatican Opens Its First-Ever Shopping Mall
» German Police Officer is Wounded in Shootout With ‘Gun Nut’ During Raid on Far-Right Group Trying to Overthrow the Government and Reinstate the Kaiser
» German Climate Activists Remove ‘No Speed Limit’ Motorway Signs
» Germany: Hundreds of Tractors Protest EU Great Reset Plan to Reduce Number of Farm Animals
» German Antifa Terror Group Linked to Hammer Attacks in Hungary and Germany Faces Trial in Dresden
» Japan Grants Poland Development Aid Status in Show of Solidarity on Ukraine
» Just Seven of 30 Members Met NATO Minimum Military Spending Levels in 2022
» Netherlands: More People Ask Euthanasia Center for Help; 1,240 Requests Approved Last Year
» ‘Political Statements Can’t Provide Heating’ — Hungarian Foreign Minister Explains Why Hungary Needs Russian Energy
» Prince William Meets With British and Polish Troops, Ukrainian Refugees, And President Duda During Unannounced Polish Tour
» Slovakia to Get Discount on US Attack Helicopters for Giving Its MiG Jet Fleet to Ukraine
» UK: ‘Impartial’ BBC Asserts Trump ‘Will Try to Spin’ Any Arrest
» UK: Boy, 14, Shouted ‘I’m Gonna Wet You’ Before Stabbing a Teenager, 14, To Death and Trying to Knife Another in Park Attack Sparked by a ‘Dirty Look’, Court Hears
» UK: Happy Now?
» UK: Mohammed Abbkr Charged With Setting Men on Fire Outside Mosques in London, Birmingham
 
Israel and the Palestinians
» Geert Wilders — Israel Has Enough Enemies, Let’s Show Friendship
» Israel Agrees to Stop Sending Armed Guards on Holocaust Youth Trips Inside Poland
 
Middle East
» Report: Saudi Arabia Increases Russian Oil Buys, Selling Pricier Saudi Oil for Profit
 
Russia
» Freed — Kidnapped Kids Putin ‘Tried to Beat the Ukrainian Out of’: Overjoyed Youngsters Embrace Family as They Finally Get Back Home After Months in Brutal Kremlin ‘Camps’ — As War Crimes Warrant Awaits Russian President for Forcing Them Over the Border
» Russians ‘Fear’ Ukraine Will Launch ‘Major Offensive’ In North-East, Says UK Govt
» The West Has ‘Brought Humankind to the Brink of Nuclear Armageddon’ With Its Decision to Use Depleted Uranium Ammo in Ukraine, Says Russia’s US Envoy
 
Far East
» TikTok CEO Vows to Congress More Teen Safety, Defiant on National Security Issue, Not China ‘Agent’
 
Australia — Pacific
» British Trans Critic Who Has Held Fiery Protests Australia Considers Moving Here — After Lidia Thorpe Gatecrashed Her Demonstration and Told Her She’s ‘Not Welcome on Aboriginal Land’
» Indigenous Leader Slams Anthony Albanese Over His ‘Crocodile Tears’ After the PM Broke Down Five Times While Revealing the Exact Voice to Parliament Question Every Single Australian Will Vote on
» Sickening Video Emerges of One of the Girls Accused of Torturing a 13-Year-Old Allegedly Bashing Another Victim on a Bus — as Accused Trio Mock Vigilantes Who Threatened to Burn Down Their Houses
» The Secret ‘Agenda for the Voice’: Powerful Indigenous Group Allegedly Leaves Behind a 11-Point Note at a Café — and You Won’t Believe What is Proposed if the Referendum Gets Up
 
Immigration
» Dutch Government Scrambles to Find New Accommodation for 60,000 Asylum Seekers as Temporary Residence Contracts Expire
» French Mayor in Support of New Asylum Center in Seaside Town Has His House Burned Down
» Illegal Immigrant Convicted in Fatal Stabbing After Deportation From UK Stopped by Labour MPs, Celebrities
» Netherlands: Asylum Seeker Accused of Killing Therapist Tied to Two Other Murders: Report
» US Secures Deal With Canada to Return Illegal Migrants Crossing Northern Border
 
Culture Wars
» Breaking: World Athletics Bans Trans Biolgogical Male Athletes From Women’s Sports
» Canadian Trans Activists Stop Donations to Food Bank After Trans Board Member Defends Parents’ Free Speech Rights
» I Don’t Understand
» ‘LGBTQ+ Rights Are a Core Part of Our Foreign Policy,’ National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby Says
» Top Female Cyclist Quits Sport Over Transgender Athletes: ‘I Lose No Matter How Hard I Train’
» Trans Flight Attendant Featured in United Airlines Ad Commits Suicide
 

Dutch Central Bank Reports First Loss Since 1931 Amid Rising Interest Rates

De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) suffered a loss of almost half a billion euros last year due to the sharp rise in interest rates. That is the first loss in more than ninety years, the Dutch central bank said in its annual report released on Thursday.

Significant losses are also expected for the coming years. The DNB does not expect to be able to achieve a profit again until 2028. DNB President Klaas Knot already warned about this scenario in September. Due to the higher interest rates, the central bank itself has lost more money, while yields have tumbled on bonds purchased in droves in recent years.

The last time the DNB suffered a loss was in 1931, when the central bank had to take a significant loss on British pounds after the United Kingdom left the gold standard.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Germans Warned of More Inflation

The German Council of Economic Experts (GCEE) has warned that inflation in the country could remain high for longer than expected, or even accelerate if monetary policy measures are offset by risks in financial markets.

According a report from the five-member council, high inflation will continue to inhibit the German economy this year. The GCEE expects an average inflation rate of 6.6% in 2023, and noted that while inflation peaked in autumn 2022, it is still significantly elevated and is likely to decline very slowly.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Lloyd’s of London Set to Take a Hit of Hundreds of Millions of Pounds as Financial Market Turmoil Takes Its Toll

Lloyd’s chief exec John Neal said the current volatility would put a dent in otherwise bumper investment returns this year.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Watch: Federal Reserve Head is Questioned on Controversial “Debanking of Disfavored Individuals”

During a recent House Committee hearing, Chair of the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell was grilled on “Operation Choke Point 2.0” — an alleged Biden administration effort that Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) described as being “particularly focused on debanking people that are disfavored by…the current…executive branch.”

Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) told Powell that he’d spoken with multiple bankers who said “they’ve never seen a higher degree of regulatory burden, steering guidance, shaping activities in the market from regulators.”

He attributed this heightened scrutiny to Operation Choke Point 2.0 — a reference to an alleged extension of Operation Choke Point 1.0. The first Operation Choke Point was an Obama-era debanking effort that began in 2013 and attempted to prevent gun dealers, payday lenders, and other companies that were deemed to be “high risk” from accessing banking services. Some people in the cryptocurrency industry claim that Operation Choke Point 2.0 is now being carried out by the Biden adminsitration and is primarily focused on deterring banks from doing business with cryptocurrency firms.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

1% of Democrat Counties Make Up 42% of America’s Murders

by Daniel Greenfield

Democrats desperately trying to spin high crime rates caused by their pro-crime policies began falsely claiming that crime was a Republican problem. The media began running articles with headlines like, “Red States Have Higher Murder Rates” and “Republicans Like to Talk Tough on Crime — But They’re the Ones with a Real Crime Problem”.

New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, who once claimed that the internet would have no more of an impact than the fax machine, argued that high crime was really a Republican problem and decided to prove it by claiming that, “Oklahoma’s murder rate was almost 50 percent higher than California’s, almost double New York’s.”

Krugman, who somehow has a Nobel Prize, failed to note that most of the murders were coming out of Oklahoma City and Tulsa. In last year’s gubernatorial election, Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt won most of the state while Oklahoma, Tulsa and Cleveland counties however went to leftist Democrat Joy Hofmeister. The ‘blue’ parts of Oklahoma are also red with blood.

“The fact is the rates of violent crime are higher in Oklahoma under your watch,” Hoffmeister had claimed in a viral gubernatorial debate attack. Oklahoma had 287 murders in 2020: 166 came out of Oklahoma County and Tulsa County, the two counties that supported Hoffmeister.

Oklahoma County and Tulsa are two of the 62 counties that were responsible for 56% of America’s murders in 2020. A groundbreaking study by John R. Lott of the Crime Prevention Research Center, revealed that “1% of counties have 21% of the population and 42% of the murders” and “2% of counties contain 31% of the population and 56% of the murders.”…

           — Hat tip: Daniel Greenfield [Return to headlines]
 

Biden White House Urges Xi Jinping to Call Zelensky

John Kirby told reporters China could play a “constructive role” in the Russian invasion of Ukraine by reaching out to Volodymyr Zelensky.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Biden’s Vaccine Mandate for Federal Workers Blocked by Appeals Court

President Biden’s mandate that about 3.5 million federal employees get vaccinated against COVID-19 was blocked by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday.

The president originally issued the executive order in September 2021, requiring workers to be vaccinated unless they have a medical or religious exemption.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown issued an injunction blocking the mandate in January 2022, but a three-judge panel on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated the mandate last April.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Biden’s Approval Rating Drops to Near Low: Poll

President Joe Biden’s approval rating dipped to 38%, nearing the lowest point of 36% last July, as Americans continue to face economic concerns, according to a poll released Thursday.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Bill Gates: ‘The Age of Artificial Intelligence Has Begun’

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is celebrating the emergence of artificial intelligence by declaring that a new “age” has “begun.”

The billionaire gushed over the technology in an op-ed titled “The Age of AI has begun” on “The Blog of Bill Gates.”

In the article, Gates discussed the upcoming paradigm shift in technology.

Gates believes that OpenAI’s language generation artificial intelligence tools will be at the forefront of the next technological revolution.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Breaking: Judge Removes Jury to Admonish Far-Left Reporter for Causing a Scene During Meme Trial of Douglass Mackey

In the first amendment trial of Douglass Mackey in the federal Eastern District Court of New York, Judge Ann Donnelly excused the jurors from the courtroom on day three to address a journalist who had been covering the proceedings, Luke O’Brien.

O’Brien had been covering the trial since before it began, going so far as to make a witness for the defense feel intimidated by his questioning when he asked if the witness’ employer knew that he was testifying on behalf of Mackey. That witness withdrew from the trial. The defense asked for a two-week delay, but that wasn’t granted.

Judge Donnelly dismissed jurors for five minutes, and removed the witness from the box, as well. Donnelly then addressed O’Brien.

“So this is a public courtroom,” she said, “and of course people are all welcome to observe the proceedings. What you cannot do, which I’ve been observing from up here, is to try to either get the witness’ attention or whatever is going on. It’s got to stop. You have to sit up straight. Don’t make faces at the witness. I can see you. If it happens again, you’re out.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

CDC Focused on Developing DEI Training Amid Peak School Shutdowns, Documents Show

EXCLUSIVE: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) leadership focused on developing an internal equity training while Americans waited to hear when their kids would be back in the classroom, according to documents obtained by the Americans for Public Trust (APT) and shared with Fox News Digital.

CDC leadership focused developing an equity and DEI training regarding racial sensitivity, unconscious bias and microaggressions in the workplace while the majority of K-12 schools were shutdown across the country in February and March 2021, APT’s Executive Director Caitlin Sutherland told Fox News Digital. She also said the CDC has refused to turn over the actual training material, which APT has appealed.

Members of the CDC’s Equal Employment Opportunity Advisory Group (EEOAG) were required to complete the training by March 15 before it was rolled out to all employees and were asked to take a survey upon completion of the training, where they were encouraged to provide detailed comments about the course content.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Chicago Mayoral Candidate Praises DA Who Dropped Charges Against Jussie Smollett: ‘Incredible’ Integrity

Brandon Johnson, one of two remaining candidates that will compete in Chicago’s mayoral run-off race in two weeks, praised the prosecutor who dropped felony charges against actor Jussie Smollett.

Johnson, who is in a tight race with his opponent Paul Vallas described Cook County State Attorney Kim Foxx as “a part of the type of reform that’s needed.”

“She has led with an incredible amount of integrity,” Johnson said during their fourth debate.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Confronted With Data From Just the News, Blinken Concedes Concern About China Bioweapons Program

Grilled by Republican Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa) over data made public by Just the News, Secretary of State Antony Blinken admitted Thursday that the Biden administration is concerned China is operating an illicit offensive bioweapons program, including through entities funded by the U.S. government.

“I’m telling you that we have real concerns about their compliance [with bioweapons treaty obligations],” Blinken said during a contentious Q&A session led by Perry in the middle of the House Foreign Affairs Committee budget hearing for the State Department.

Just the News released a story last week where it reported new evidence which emerged from the State Department and National Institutes of Health. The departments routed at least $1.7 million in tax dollars to a Wuhan virology lab despite evidence it was tied to the Chinese military — and possibly the communist nation’s bioweapons program.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Cracker Barrel Joins Walmart in Leaving Portland Amid Rising Crime

The Cracker Barrel restaurant and retail chain announced Monday that it will be closing its only remaining Portland locations, three of the remaining four locations in Oregon, seven months after it closed its Jantzen Beach store.

This follows an announcement from Walmart that it was closing its Portland area locations due to a lack of profits but some speculated that the decision was the result of rampant shoplifting.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Desantis’ Ukraine U-Turn: Florida Governor Now Says His ‘Territorial Dispute’ Comments Were ‘Mischaracterized’, Calls Putin a War Criminal and Says Russia is ‘Basically a Gas Station With a Nuclear Weapons’

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he ‘should have been more clear’ when he called Russia’s brutal war on Ukraine a ‘territorial dispute.’

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

DeSantis Says He Would Ban TikTok Nationwide if Given the Authority: ‘I Don’t Want Our Kids On’ This Stuff

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told Fox Nation host Piers Morgan in an exclusive interview that TikTok should be banned across the U.S., citing rumors of the app’s alleged dangers that have brought its CEO Shou Zi Chew to Capitol Hill to testify before Congress.

DeSantis, sitting across from Morgan, told him that, if given the authority, he would likely take action to ban the app due to swirling accusations that the video-sharing platform harvests user data, making the information accessible to China.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

DeSantis Smirks at Reporter Question About NAACP Advising Black Americans Not to Go to Florida: ‘What a Joke’

Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., ripped the NAACP’s Florida chapter over news that it had asked the national organization to urge Black Americans to stay away from the state. This came in response to the governor’s policies on educational requirements in Florida schools.

Reacting to a reporter bringing up the story, DeSantis on Thursday called it a “joke,” “ridiculous,” and dismissed it as a “stunt.”

He then proceeded to hammer the media as hypocritical for reporting on Florida under his leadership in general, recalling how during COVID-19, journalists from major outlets would slam Florida’s pandemic protocols but would be vacationing in the state anyway.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

DeSantis Says Ukraine Comments Were ‘Mischaracterized, ‘ Calls Putin a War Criminal and Russia ‘A Gas Station With a Nuclear Weapons’

In a new interview, Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis called Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” and demanded the Russian president be “held accountable” for his invasion of Ukraine.

The comments were a pivot from a statement the potential 2024 presidential candidate previously made which seemed to minimize the year-long war as a “territorial dispute.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

DeSantis Walks Back Characterization of Russian War on Ukraine as a ‘Territorial Dispute’

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is walking back his characterization of Russia’s war in Ukraine as a “territorial dispute,” following criticism from a number of fellow Republicans who expressed concern about the potential 2024 presidential candidate’s dismissive description of the conflict.

In excerpts of an interview with Piers Morgan set to air Thursday on Fox Nation, DeSantis said his earlier comments referenced ongoing fighting in the eastern Donbas region, as well as Russia’s 2014 seizure of Crimea. Ukraine’s borders are internationally recognized, including by the United Nations.

           — Hat tip: Dean [Return to headlines]
 

Doctor Stripped of Board Certification Over ‘COVID-19 Misinformation’

The American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) stripped the certification of Florida-based doctor John Littell, a U.S. Army veteran and family physician who had made headlines for using Ivermectin to treat thousands of Covid-19 patients.

Dr. Littell was kicked out of a Sarasota Memorial Hospital board meeting last month after highlighting anecdotes of patients who quickly recovered from COVID after he treated them with ivermectin.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Elon Musk Trolls Top House Dem: ‘That’s What She Said’

Elon Musk wasn’t shy to use Twitter on Thursday to employ a double entendre made famous by Michael Scott, the main character of the beloved sitcom “The Office.”

Musk’s wordplay came in response to the top House Democrat taking an apparent swipe at Republicans.

“House Dems are fighting hard for the American people,” tweeted House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. “Right-wing extremists are fighting each other.”

Musk, the owner and CEO of Twitter, had some fun with his response.

“That’s what she said,” Musk wrote as a reply to Jeffries.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Elon Musk Humiliates Biden for Trying to Brag About Admin: ‘The Banks Are Melting’

Twitter CEO Elon Musk has fired back at Democrat President Joe Biden for trying to boast about his administration’s alleged achievements.

Biden said in a series of posts:

“Today at the White House, we honored generations of female visionaries — known and unknown — on whose shoulders we stand.

“We celebrated the remarkable women who push our country forward every day.

“And we recommit to the work ahead to deliver a better future for women and girls.

“In my first year in office, we protected more lands and waters than any president since John F. Kennedy.

“We’ve also made the largest investment to fight climate change — ever.

“Today, we’re building on that momentum by protecting additional natural wonders.”

Enter Elon Musk who said: “Umm … the banks are melting.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Even Biden’s Hometown Has Serious Doubts About Him Running in 2024: Scranton Residents Say They Are Worried About the 80-Year-Old’s Health and Insist We ‘Need Someone Fresh’

In Joe Biden’s childhood hometown of Scranton, signs of affection for the U.S. president are hard to miss. Despite those strong ties, interviews with about two dozen Scranton voters show 2024 reservations.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Hollywood Celebs Charged by SEC for ‘Illegally Touting’ Securities Without Revealing They Were Getting Paid

On Wednesday, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced they were charging eight celebrities, including actress Lindsay Lohan and influencer-turned-pugilist Jake Paul, with security law violations in connection to their social media promotion of several crypto companies, all owned by entrepreneur Justin Sun.

According to Variety, SEC chair Gary Gensler said, “Sun further induced investors to purchase TRX and BTT by orchestrating a promotional campaign in which he and his celebrity promoters hid the fact that the celebrities were paid for their tweets.”

Other celebrities charged beyond Paul and Lohan were the musicians and rappers Ne-Yo, Lil Yachty, Souja Boy, Akon, and Austin Mahone. Porn star Kendra Lust was also charged.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Home Invasion Suspects Shot, Killed by Texas Man

Two males suspected of breaking into a Texas home and opening fire over the weekend were shot and killed by a man who lived there, according to reports.

The harrowing incident unfolded at around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday in Garland.

Authorities were called to a burglary at an apartment complex where multiple residents reported hearing shots fired, CBS reports.

Officers discovered two men suffering from gunshot wounds at the scene.

One injured man was inside the apartment and another was found outside.

The resident told police the men started shooting at him after forcing entry to his home and that he shot back in self defense.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

‘Horrific’ Ruling: SCOTUS Refuses to Hear Case of NY Students Denied Vaccine Health Exemptions

(LifeSiteNews) — The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal on behalf of children who are barred from New York public schools despite vaccine medical exemptions issued by their doctors in what Children’s Health Defense has decried as a “horrific” decision.

It is unknown how many Supreme Court Justices, if any, voted to hear the case. The votes of four Justices are sufficient to grant certiorari and have a case heard by the Supreme Court.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

House Fails to Override Biden Veto Upholding ESG Rule

The House of Representatives failed on Thursday to override President Joe Biden’s veto of a measure halting a Department of Labor rule permitting a controversial investing practice.

Biden issued the first veto of his presidency on Monday, to protect the administrative rule allowing environmental, social, and governance (ESG)-based investing. The practice involves asset managers considering such factors when making investments independent of their financial merits. Republicans have questioned whether ESG investing by a firm conflicts with its fiduciary duty to its investors.

The Thursday House vote saw lower chamber lawmakers vote 219-200 in favor of overriding Biden, but they fell short of the two-thirds majority necessary to overturn the veto, according to The Hill. An override would have required the support of two-thirds of the Senate as well.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Idaho’s Move to Resurrect Firing Squad ‘Makes Sense’ as ‘Quickest, Surest’ Death Penalty Option, Expert Says

As Idaho looks to resurrect the firing squad as an acceptable alternative to lethal injection for prisoners sentenced to death, a shortage of necessary drugs and a poor track record over the past four decades has experts pointing out the shortcomings of the “modern” and “clinical” practice used in most states that still carry out capital punishment.

If signed into law, Idaho’s bill could impact the state’s eight current death row inmates and possibly the future of student stabbings suspect Bryan Kohberger. He could face death if convicted of any one of four first-degree murder charges he faces in the November deaths of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle.

“The firing squad is the quickest, surest and most error-free and the only technique for which we have skilled and trained professionals,” says Fordham Law School professor Deborah Denno, a leading expert on the death penalty in the U.S.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Jim Jordan Gets Win as Manhattan DA Agrees to Hand Over Some Documents

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has fired back at Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) after the Republican congressman demanded the George Soros-funded prosecutor’s testimony.

Jordan and his House GOP colleagues gave demanded that Bragg hands over documents relating to his politically motivated case against President Donald Trump.

The Manhattan DA’s general counsel, Leslie Dubeck, told Jordan and the GOP their request was an “unprecedented inquiry into a pending local prosecution.”

But towards the end of the letter, she said they would come clean about any use of federal funds and would meet with Congress to discuss the case.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Jim Jordan Says Liberal Groups May Have Broken Anti-Trust Laws by Blocking Conservative Advertisers

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan says liberal groups trying to block advertising for conservatives may be investigated for antitrust violations.

“We think these companies are colluding with this organization called GARM [Global Alliance for Responsible Media] about the marketing, and limiting money that can go to — limit the ad dollars as a result of the rankings they do and the things they say,” Jordan said on the Wednesday edition of the “Just the News, No Noise” TV show.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Judge Throws Book at Chicago Carjacker Who Boasted He’d be ‘Out by Sunday’

A Chicago carjacker boasted that he’d be released from jail in just a few days after being arrested for a violent robbery following a police chase.

However, Jordan Henry, a career thug with a lengthy rap sheet, made a huge mistake when he was chased by police.

During the pursuit, Henry left the soft-on-crime city and drove into Will County.

Will County State’s Attorney Jim Glasgow said Henry was an arrogant criminal who bragged when arrested, “I will be out by Sunday.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Kari Lake Scores Win as Arizona Supreme Court Sends Part of Her Lawsuit Back to Trial Court

The Arizona Supreme Court ruled Wednesday to send a piece of former GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake’s election lawsuit back to trial court to examine whether or not Maricopa County followed signature verification policies in 2022.

The order states: “IT IS FURTHER ORDERED remanding to the trial court to determine whether the claim that Maricopa County failed to comply with A.R.S. § 16-550(A) fails to state a claim pursuant to Ariz. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) for reasons other than laches, or, whether Petitioner can prove her claim as alleged pursuant to A.R.S. § 16-672 and establish that ‘votes [were] affected “in sufficient numbers to alter the outcome of the election”‘ based on a ‘competent mathematical basis to conclude that the outcome would plausibly have been different, not simply an untethered assertion of uncertainty.’“

The Arizona Supreme Court declined to review the rest of the appeal.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Las Vegas Cops Get Last Laugh After Cackling Shoplifter Brags She’ll ‘Never’ Be Caught

A Las Vegas shoplifter was caught on video bragging she’d never be caught and laughing as she brazenly snatched items off store shelves — but soon got busted by city police.

“They’ll never catch me,” the woman said while stealing from a convenience store on South Las Vegas Boulevard in January, the video shows.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Lawmakers Push to Ban China From Buying U.S. Farmland

A group of U.S. Senators introduced a bill this week to ban U.S. adversaries from purchasing U.S. farmland amid mounting fears of espionage.

The “Protecting America’s Agricultural Land from Foreign Harm Act” would specifically bar the sale of agricultural land to individuals or groups linked to Iran, North Korea, China, or Russia, according to a press release from Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville.

Alongside the Alabama lawmaker, Sens. Mike Braun, R-Ind.; John Tester, D-Mont.; and Marco Rubio, R-Fla.; joined together in sponsoring the measure.

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Manhattan DA in Disarray, Abruptly Cancels Trump Grand Jury Session

The Grand Jury deciding President Donald Trump’s fate has been canceled again today amid reports that embattled Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is scrambling to keep his case alive.

According to reports, George Soros-funded Bragg does not have enough votes for an indictment.

A meeting of the New York grand jury looking into Trump’s alleged hush-money payments, scheduled to take place on Thursday, was postponed again.

The next time the grand jury could meet is Monday, according to multiple media reports.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Matt Gaetz: Biden’s Rape Accuser Tara Reade to Testify Before Congress on Sexual Assault Allegations

Republican Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) have just dealt a massive blow to Democrat President Joe Biden.

Gaetz has just announced Biden’s rape accuser Tara Reade will testify on her allegations before Congress.

Reade, a lifelong Democrat who served in Biden’s Senate office, has maintained her allegations for years.

However, her accusations against Biden have never been officially investigated.

She says she filed a complaint against Biden at the time of the alleged sexual assault but was forced out of her job and her career in Washington D.C. was over.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Minneapolis News Station Uses Public Transport, Sees Open Drug Use, Drug Deal Making

Those who use buses and trams in Minneapolis, Minn. have become increasingly weary about doing so as instances of open drug use and violence continue to increase. In response, Metro Transit has ramped up its security presence across the network, however, the problems persist.

On Tuesday, a team from local CBS News affiliate WCCO rode the rails for a few hours in hopes of uncovering exactly what was taking place onboard the city’s public transportation.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Newsweek Peddles Fake News About U.S. Veteran Destroying 7 Russian Tanks in Ukraine — Report

Newsweek ran a story last year about a U.S. veteran boasting about “taking out” seven Russian tanks in Ukraine.

From Newsweek’s March 2022 story, “American in Ukraine Says He’s Taken Out 7 Russian Tanks: ‘Long Day, Baby’“:

An American military veteran who left his home in Connecticut to volunteer on the frontlines in Ukraine claimed he helped to destroy seven Russian tanks with Ukrainian forces.

“Alright. So far, we took out seven Russian tanks, after a long fire fight we took control of the area,” James Vasquez, a U.S. army veteran and building contractor, said in a video shared on his Twitter page.

“Right now we’re going to just kind of sweep around and see what we got left. Some stragglers, take them out, call it a day, it’s been a long day. It’s been a long day baby,” he said.

But it turns out, Vasquez was never a soldier for Ukraine, according to transgender journalist Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, who joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine last year.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

NJ Councilwoman Murder: Slain Republican’s Family Calls for Justice 7 Weeks After Unsolved Killing

Almost two months after a Republican New Jersey councilwoman was gunned down outside her home, her family is appealing for help as they await news of leads in the case.

Police found Sayreville Borough Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour, a 30-year-old mother and former EMT, with gunshot wounds in a white Nissan outside her townhouse on Feb. 1 around 7:22 p.m.

Surveillance cameras picked up a shadowy figure running near the scene, and eyewitnesses told dispatchers they saw a man firing into her car before taking off on foot.

But no one has been caught, and her family is begging for justice.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

OpenAI Co-Founder Creates Digital ID Protocol

Digital ID company World ID, created by OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman, claims to offer a “privacy-first” solution to the problem of verifiable identification. The project was created by OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman.

However, many remain skeptical about the overall idea of digital ID, and therefore about World ID as well.

The company claims that more than half of the global population lacks legally verifiable identification and wants to be the provider of that.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Oregon Residents May Secede Over ‘East-West’ Political Divide: ‘Not a Unified State to Me Anymore’

Residents of Oregon are considering secession over an “east-west” political divide as many believe the state is no longer “unified” and are frustrated that the liberal politics of the west are held over east.

The New York Times reported Saturday that residents of eastern Oregon were frustrated over the politics in the western part of the state.

“Oregon is not a unified state to me anymore,” Corey Cook, an eastern Oregon resident, told the Times. “To say that I’m an Oregonian is a geographic truth, but it doesn’t really have meaning to me the way that it did before I lived in eastern Oregon.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Pentagon Official Forced to Read Anti-White Statements From Its Diversity Chief in Congressional Hearing

A senior Biden-appointed Pentagon official — Gil Cisneros — was forced to read and explain divisive statements against White people from one of his employees in a grilling hearing at the House Armed Services Committee Thursday.

Cisneros — Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness — was responsible for determining the outcome of a probe into former DEI chief Kelisa Wing over divisive tweets about White people, which called them “Karen[s].”

“Mr. Cisneros, are you familiar with the tweet? Can you please read the tweet aloud?” asked Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., about one of Wing’s controversial posts.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Police Chief Fires Officer, Releases Video of Shooting Death

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — A northern Virginia police officer was fired Thursday after fatally shooting a shoplifting suspect last month, with police releasing video of the deadly encounter at the end of a foot chase at a busy shopping mall.

Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis announced the dismissal at a press conference in which he also released body camera footage showing the shooting of Timothy McCree Johnson outside Tysons Corner Center on Feb. 22.

Two officers who chased Johnson that night fired their weapons, Davis said. The one who fired the fatal round has been dismissed from the department, and the other officer remains on restricted duty as the investigation continues.

           — Hat tip: LP [Return to headlines]
 

Portland Resident Delivers Ominous Warning After Threats From Homeless Man: ‘Something’s Going to Happen’

A Portland resident issued an ominous warning to her community, predicting “something’s going to happen,” after a homeless man threatened to burn her home down.

Vivica Elliot has lived in Portland for nearly six decades, and has been dealing with homeless encampments in close proximity to her home for years now. She joined “Fox & Friends” to discuss why she fears for her safety following the alarming confrontation.

“I think there should be some rules to how close a camper should be able to position themselves to a house,” Elliot told Steve Doocy on Thursday. “That tent is within 20 feet of a bathroom window where there are young children in that house. That’s my niece’s house. I live right next door.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

San Francisco Board of Supervisors Member Calls for $50 Million ‘Office of Reparations’: ‘It is Time’

San Francisco’s reparations proposal could include a $50 million “Office of Reparations” that would include a database to vet eligible citizens, according to a recommendation from one of the city’s Board of Supervisors members.

On Tuesday, Board member Shamann Walton called on his colleagues to support a “supplemental appropriation” of $50 million for the “Office of Reparations” and approval recommendations within the fiscal year.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

SCOTUS Hears Trademark Suit Between Jack Daniels and Dog Toy Company That Parodies Their Brand

The Supreme Court on Wednesday heard arguments in a trademark dispute between alcohol maker Jack Daniels and VIP Products, which makes chew toys for dogs that parody the distiller’s brand.

One chew toy takes the shape of a liquor bottle and bears the logo “Bad Spaniels,” using a similar typeface and logo design to Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey, The Hill reported.

Other products included obvious parodies of other liquor and soft drink brands, such as “Dos Perros” (Dos Equis), “Mountain Drool” (Mountain Dew), and “Doggie Walker” (Johnny Walker).

Jack Daniels, during arguments had argued that a substantial portion of its customers were likely to be confused by the parody brand’s products and potentially infer an association between the companies.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Shock Video: Armed Suspect Robs NYC Jewelry Store for Second Time in Weeks

Police in New York City are looking for a man who is suspected of robbing multiple jewelry stores, including two hits against the same shop, according to reports.

The latest brazen theft unfolded at around 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday in the Cobble Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Teenager Dies Suddenly on American Airlines Flight After Suffering Cardiac Arrest

A mother is suing American Airlines after her teenage son suffered a sudden cardiac arrest mid-flight and died.

The teen, Kevin Greenridge of New York, was flying to Miami from San Pedro Sula, Honduras, on June 4, 2022.

During the flight, Greenridge suddenly went into cardiac arrest.

The plane made an emergency landing in Cancun, Mexico but, unfortunately, Greenridge did not survive.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Truth Social Promos Propel Three Songs to iTunes #1

Three recently released singles have made it to the top of the iTunes charts thanks, in part, due to their launch and promotion on former President Donald Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social.

Three songs that either launched on the app or received heavy promotion on it currently stand in the top ten of the iTunes charts. They are “Trump Won” by Natasha Owens, “Justice for All” by Donald Trump & J6 Prison Choir, and “End of the World” by John Rich & Tom MacDonald.

All three songs hit #1 on the chart at some point after launching on Truth. “Trump Won” entered the charts at #1 on March 16 and currently stands at #7. The song espouses the view that former President Donald Trump legitimately won the 2020 presidential election.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

US Military Reports Significant Challenges Recruiting Youth

The US military admitted on Wednesday to significant difficulties recruiting from Generation Z during a US Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing dedicated to the issue.

“Most of today’s young adults are unaware of what it means to serve,” Under Secretary of the Army Gabe Camarillo said. “About 75% have little to no knowledge about the Army, and only 9% have the propensity to serve, the lowest it has been in over a decade.”

Camarillo noted that in fiscal year 2022, the army gained 44,900 new recruits, short of its goal of 60,000. His counterparts from the US Navy and US Air Force also concurred that recruiting was an ongoing challenge.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

US Trying to ‘Cover Up’ Nord Stream Sabotage Role — Seymour Hersh

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh has claimed the US intentionally provided false stories to the media to cover up Washington’s involvement in the destruction of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

In a post on his Substack blog on Wednesday, the veteran reporter claims the CIA was tasked with preparing a cover story — in collaboration with Berin’s BND intelligence service — to provide the American and German press with an “alternative version” of the Nord Stream 2 explosions.

“In the words of the intelligence community, the agency was ‘to pulse the system’ in an effort to discount the claim that Biden had ordered the pipeline’s destruction,” Hersh wrote, citing an anonymous source with access to diplomatic intelligence.

He noted that the CIA had completed its task and, with the help of Germany, planted stories in the New York Times and German weekly Die Zeit. These referred to a supposed “ad hoc ‘off the books’ operation” carried out by a “pro-Ukrainian group,” which allegedly used a luxury sailing yacht to plant explosives on the Nord Stream pipelines.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Video Shows Man Stabbing Bus Passenger 33 Times as Driver Continues Route

Horrifying video shows a Las Vegas bus passenger stabbing a man 33 times as the driver keeps going despite the doomed victim’s screams for help.

Aaron Cole, 59, was charged with the brutal Feb. 26 slaying of Dominique Lucas, 30, after an argument erupted aboard an RTC bus.

Video screened to a Clark County grand jury shows the disturbing encounter, and Lucas shouting “I wasn’t bothering you” at Cole, who is seated beside him, 8 News Now reported.

Seconds later, Cole pulls out a knife and stabs Lucas, who runs out of his seat to the front of the bus.

“Let me off,” Lucas shouts, struggling to push open the exit. But the driver keeps going even as Cole walks up and continues to knife the screaming man.

The shocking attack lasted about four minutes, with the bus doors briefly opening and closing. Cole returns to his seat as Lucas continues begging for help. The bus driver is then seen activating a panic button to call for help — and asking if Lucas wants to get off the bus. Cole gets back up and starts stabbing the victim again, the video shows.

Police said the attack took place at 4:50 p.m., and that the bus stopped five minutes later as the driver and passengers ran out. Police got to the scene at 4:58 p.m.

           — Hat tip: McN [Return to headlines]
 

Video: Rand Paul Grills Blinken on Stonewalling of COVID Origin Investigation

Senator Rand Paul grilled Secretary of State Antony Blinken Wednesday, accusing the State Department of engaging in a lack of transparency when it comes to providing documents related to the ongoing probe of the origins of COVID.

Paul asked Blinken why documents related to funding of coronavirus research have not been provided to him despite repeated requests.

The Senator told Blinken that he had requested the material “on September 12th and November 7th of last year.”

“My question is, what’s the State Department hiding?” Paul asked, adding “Why won’t you give these records to the American people?”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Academics Write Letter Blasting “Racist” Election Interference Claims

A handful of Canadian academics wrote an open letter to former governor general David Johnston expressing concern that recent election interference claims are leading to anti-Asian racism.

Johnston was recently appointed as a “special rapporteur” to investigate claims reported by the media that China interfered in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.

“We are deeply concerned that government initiatives announced to help combat foreign interference risk creating more problems than they solve. For too many, ‘foreign interference’ is simply a codeword for ‘Chinese’ with all the racist overtones that have been imposed on that term,” the letter claimed.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Alberta, Provinces Argue Against “No More Pipelines” Bill

Alberta government lawyers made their case for upholding a lower court ruling that the federal government’s Impact Assessment Act (IAA) is unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court of Canada began hearings on Tuesday as the federal government asked it to overrule an Alberta Court of Appeal opinion that declared their 2019 IAA to be unconstitutional.

Several provincial governments told Canada’s top court that the act undermines their ability to determine their own futures.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Liberal MP Resigns From Party Over Allegations He Told China to Delay Release of Canadian Prisoners

OTTAWA (LifeSiteNews) — Canadian MP Han Dong resigned from the Liberal Party last night only hours after a news report broke alleging that he had asked a Chinese diplomat in February 2021 to delay the release of two Canadians held captive by the Communist Chinese regime.

Yesterday afternoon, Global News broke a story reporting that two national security sources told them that Dong had in 2021 advised a Chinese diplomat that it would be of interest to the Liberal Party if they delayed the release of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who were imprisoned in a Chinese jail at the time.

After the story broke, Dong late Wednesday told the House of Commons that he would be stepping away from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party, and would be now sitting as an independent MP.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Nearly One Million Fewer Surgeries Completed During Pandemic

There was a reduction of 937,000 surgeries performed in Canada compared to pre-pandemic years according to a new report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).

The most significant decreases occurred between March and June 2020 after non-urgent surgeries were cancelled or postponed due to provincial and federal Covid restrictions, as reported by CTV News.

Between April 2020 and September 2022, completed knee replacements fell by 20% and hip replacements fell by 11%. 92,000 fewer Canadians were able to receive cataract surgeries in a timely manner also.

Currently, only 50% of patients still requiring knee replacements are being treated within the recommended six-month period. Before the pandemic, 70% of those needing knee replacements and 75% percent of those needing hip replacements had them completed within six months.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

RCMP Arrest Suspected Montreal Terrorist

RCMP arrested a Montreal teenager on Thursday, saying it had reasonable grounds to fear the young man would commit terrorism.

An RCMP report said 18-year-old Mohamed Amine Assal was arrested based on findings of a short counter-terrorism investigation and intelligence shared by America’s FBI.

“The RCMP had reasonable grounds to fear that an individual may commit a terrorism offence,” the release said. “The investigation is ongoing and […] charges may be laid at a later date.”

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Saskatchewan Hedges Against Federal Fertilizer Meddling

In passing The Saskatchewan First Act earlier this month, Justice Minister Bronwyn Eyre explained in a recent interview how the province is hedging against a potential fertilizer mandate by the federal government.

The Act would reinforce provincial jurisdiction over things like “the regulation of fertilizer use in Saskatchewan, including application, production, quantities and emissions.”

In an interview with Pipeline Online, Eyre explained how fertilizer regulations could be disastrous for an agriculturally-heavy province like Saskatchewan.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Smith Says Conservatives Need to Offer Vision on Public Service Delivery

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Conservatives need to learn how to win in big cities. And, that she’s finally back in politics after being exiled for years following her floor-crossing days.

The premier was speaking to hundreds of attendees at the Canada Strong and Free Networking conference, formerly dubbed the Manning Centre, on Thursday afternoon.

Smith said the United Conservative Party’s values resonate in rural Alberta but there’s a bigger challenge talking to and unifying urban audiences in Calgary and Edmonton.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Trudeau Gov’t Gave Info of Freedom Convoy Supporters to Chinese Banks: Report

OTTAWA (LifeSiteNews) — — According to a new report, some of the Freedom Convoy supporters who were placed on a federal banking blacklist had their information shared with foreign banks, including some in China, via email with the full blessing of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the blacklists of trucking companies sympathetic to the Freedom Convoy in 2022 were distributed not only to domestic banks but to institutions in Europe, the United States and even Communist China.

The information was made known as a result of an Inquiry Of Ministry tabled in the House of Commons by Conservative Party (CPC) of Canada MP Arnold Viersen.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Trudeau Office Texts Show Pressure Already on Banks to Freeze Protesters’ Accounts Before Emergencies Act

In February 2022, texts exchanged between two senior advisers in the Canadian Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) revealed that they were putting pressure on banks to seize assets belonging to the Freedom Convoy protesters.

As reported by Rebel, the texts between Ben Chin and Tyler Meredith were entered as evidence at the Public Order Emergency Commission, and they showed that the Liberal party was encouraging financial institutions to take action against customers who supported or participated in the weeks-long peaceful protest against COVID-19 mandates in Ottawa.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Trudeau Government Still Advertising on China’s Tik Tok Despite Ban

The Canadian federal government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is still using the Chinese-owned app Tik Tok for advertising despite banning it on all government employee devices.

The Canadian government banned employees from using the controversial social media app last month amid what it termed an “unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security,” but reports note that the government continues to engage with Tik Tok for advertising.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

EU Told Dutch Govt to Double Down on Forced Farm Closures to Gain ‘More Flexibility’ on Green Regulations

The European Union has been accused of “meddling” in domestic Dutch politics after it was revealed that an unelected Eurocrat advised the Rutte government to push forward with plans to enact forced buyouts of farmers in exchange for more “flexibility” from the bloc on regulations.

Diederik Samsom, the former head of the left-wing Dutch Labor Party, who now serves as the unelected head of cabinet for First Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans, has been revealed to have told the pro-EU globalist government of Prime Minister Mark Rutte in November that it should proceed with plans to buy out farmers despite the populist revolt beginning last summer with mass tractor protests and culminated in the pro-farmer BBB becoming the nation’s largest party in last week’s elections.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Financially-Strapped Vatican Opens Its First-Ever Shopping Mall

ROME — The economically-ailing Vatican has inaugurated a 120,000-square-foot shopping mall to cater to the millions of tourists and pilgrims that visit it each year.

After eating millions of dollars in losses on bad investments and running a serious deficit for several years in a row, the Vatican has opened the “Caput Mundi” Mall a stone’s throw from Saint Peter’s Basilica as an added revenue stream to supplement its flagging finances.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

German Police Officer is Wounded in Shootout With ‘Gun Nut’ During Raid on Far-Right Group Trying to Overthrow the Government and Reinstate the Kaiser

The searches follow raids in December, when German police foiled a plot by Reichsbürger members trying to stage a violent coup, apparently planning to return Germany to its 1871 imperial status.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

German Climate Activists Remove ‘No Speed Limit’ Motorway Signs

No-limit speed signs have been stripped from Germany’s famously fast autobahns by Extinction Rebellion protesters.

Climate activists claim to have taken down 250 signs across the country in recent months.

“We are in the process of introducing speed limits across Germany in order to create more safety on our streets and as an immediate action against the climate crisis,” one activist said.

Police in Berlin have confirmed that 15 signs have been illegally dismantled on the city ring road in recent weeks and left by the side of the road.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Germany: Hundreds of Tractors Protest EU Great Reset Plan to Reduce Number of Farm Animals

Hundreds of tractors have descended on a German coastal town to protest great reset measures imposed by the European Union.

400 tractors reportedly descended on the North Sea town of Büsum on Wednesday to protest great reset policies being imposed by the EU and implemented by Berlin on their behalf.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

German Antifa Terror Group Linked to Hammer Attacks in Hungary and Germany Faces Trial in Dresden

The violent far-left activists that descended on Hungary in February and brutally beat a number of victims in Budapest are now facing trial in Dresden for charges related to forming a criminal organization.

As Remix News previously reported, the beatings in Budapest involved a group of Antifa thugs armed with hammers and iron bars beating individuals the suspects believed were part of a right-wing demonstration in the area, The vicious attacks caused outrage in Hungary and were widely covered by the national press.

The police reported that the victims were not in attendance at the right-wing demonstration, but were instead merely wearing military-style clothing. A video of one of the victims, who was reportedly on the way to his job at a tobacco store, went viral.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Japan Grants Poland Development Aid Status in Show of Solidarity on Ukraine

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki met his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida in Warsaw where they discussed Polish-Japanese cooperation, especially with regard to the economy and investment. They also discussed the situation in Ukraine, a country Kishida had visited hours earlier. The Polish prime minister commented that a new geopolitical chapter was opening in the world.

Morawiecki thanked the Japanese prime minister for his visit and recalled how they had met a year earlier in Brussels. He said both Poland and Japan had experience with Russian imperialism and understood it only too well.

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Just Seven of 30 Members Met NATO Minimum Military Spending Levels in 2022

Only seven of the thirty members of the NATO military alliance met the 2 per cent of GDP military spending minimum of the alliance in 2022 according to official figures.

NATO head Jens Stoltenberg commented on the annual report, calling for NATO members to increase their military spending to the agreed-upon targets as fewer countries met the pending goals in 2022 than in 2021.

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Netherlands: More People Ask Euthanasia Center for Help; 1,240 Requests Approved Last Year

The Euthanasia Expertise Center granted 1,240 requests for euthanasia last year, 11 percent more than in 2021. The number of requests increased by 13 percent, from 3,689 in 2021 to 4,159 in 2022, Trouw reports based on the center’s annual figures.

The Euthanasia Expertise Center, formerly called the End of Life Clinic, helps people whose own doctor cannot honor their request for euthanasia, for example, because they find the request too complicated. About a third of the patients who went to the center last year received euthanasia. That percentage has been stable for years.

Around a fifth of the euthanasia requests the expertise center received last year came from patients with psychological suffering. Of the 781 requests, the center granted 90. The expertise center is working with the Ministry of Public Health and mental health services to increase knowledge about euthanasia among psychiatrists. Psychiatrists sometimes shy away from euthanasia because the patients involved are often relatively young, and it is difficult to determine whether they’ve exhausted all treatment options.

The number of euthanasia requests increases nationwide by almost 10 percent per year. The number of times doctors throughout the Netherlands granted euthanasia last year will be announced next month. In 2021 it was 7,666 times.

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‘Political Statements Can’t Provide Heating’ — Hungarian Foreign Minister Explains Why Hungary Needs Russian Energy

The Hungarian government is not willing to give up its security of energy supply for any political reason, and although great efforts are being made to diversify its energy sources, it has no intention of diverting Russian resources either, said Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjartó at a panel discussion with Milorad Dodik at the Trebinje Energy Forum in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday.

Szijjartó said that he represents a country in the neighborhood of the war in Ukraine, where the negative effects of the armed conflict are immediate.

“Therefore, we Hungarians want peace to come as soon as possible,” he said.

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Prince William Meets With British and Polish Troops, Ukrainian Refugees, And President Duda During Unannounced Polish Tour

Prince William became the first member of the British Royal Family to visit British troops stationed in Poland who are supporting the Ukrainian resistance on Wednesday, as he conducted a two-day tour of Poland.

The Prince of Wales met with soldiers at a British Army base in the southeastern city of Rzeszów before engaging with Ukrainian refugees in Warsaw.

During the meeting, which was not publicly announced ahead of time, Prince William thanked troops for “keeping everyone safe” and “keeping an eye on what’s going on.”

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Slovakia to Get Discount on US Attack Helicopters for Giving Its MiG Jet Fleet to Ukraine

The United States is offering 12 new Bell AH-1Z Viper helicopters at a discount to replace the MiG 29 fighter jets Slovakia donated to Ukraine, Slovakia’s acting defense minister, Jaroslav Nad, announced on social media.

According to the Slovak minister, the U.S. offer includes not only the helicopters but also the training of their pilots and about 500 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, for which Slovakia would have to pay approximately €340 million euros over three to four years.

“The remainder, some $660 million, would be a gift from the U.S. government’s defense fund,” Jaroslav Nad was quoted as saying by the Slovak news agency.

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UK: ‘Impartial’ BBC Asserts Trump ‘Will Try to Spin’ Any Arrest

Britain’s supposedly impartial state broadcaster has published an article in anticipation of Donald Trump being arrested asserting that he “will try to spin” being detained.

In an article with the far from speculative headline ‘How Trump will try to spin his anticipated arrest’, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) claims “the former president is plotting a strategy designed to both keep him out of jail and turbo-boost his historic bid to return to the White House.”

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UK: Boy, 14, Shouted ‘I’m Gonna Wet You’ Before Stabbing a Teenager, 14, To Death and Trying to Knife Another in Park Attack Sparked by a ‘Dirty Look’, Court Hears

Tomasz Oleszac died in October last year after being stabbed near his home in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear. Newcastle Crown Court heard how his attacker yelled ‘I’m going to wet you’.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Happy Now?

Thanks to eco-lobbyists, government councils across the UK are cutting down thousands of trees to make way for new bus routes and cycle lanes.

Congratulations, idiots.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Mohammed Abbkr Charged With Setting Men on Fire Outside Mosques in London, Birmingham

A man identified as Mohammed Abbkr has appeared in court on attempted murder charges for setting men on fire outside mosques in London and Birmingham.

The most recent of the two attacks took place on Monday evening after the victim left the Dudley Road Mosque in Birmingham. Seventy-year-old Mohammed Rayaz was approached by another man, now alleged to be 28-year-old Abbkr, who sprayed him with an inflammable substance and set him on fire.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Geert Wilders — Israel Has Enough Enemies, Let’s Show Friendship

Open letter about the demonstration of armchair socialists Frits Barend, Anet Bleich and Ronny Naftaniel

This Sunday, a number of Dutch Jews will demonstrate against the plans of the democratically elected government of Israel regarding the division of their Trias Politica.

They will do so at the Jonas Daniel Meijerplein in Amsterdam. The neighborhood and the place from which tens of thousands of our Jewish compatriots have been driven to destruction. A neighborhood that now, some 80 years later, consists almost entirely of non-western immigrants. Many of them will have a lot of sympathy for inveterate salon socialists such as Frits Barend, Anet Bleich and Ronny Naftaniel when they hoist themselves on stage on Sunday to torch Israel.

“Are they afraid that if they don’t criticize Israel they will be cancelled?”

Why have they not organized a demonstration against the Islamic regimes in the Middle East, which oppress their own people and, inspired by the barbaric prophet Mohammed, preferably drive the Jewish people into the Mediterranean from Tel Aviv tomorrow?

Where does that revolting need, which smells of self-loathing, come from with so many Dutch Jews? Is it out of bitter guilt? Because not they, but others are building up that beautiful land of Israel. Or are they afraid that if they don’t criticize Israel enough they will be cancelled? Or do they have the false illusion of getting sympathy in this way when the Jew haters sooner or later show up at their door: “But I was in Amsterdam at the demonstration against Israel?”.

Demonstrations against the plans of the Israeli government are also being organized in Israel itself. A sign and proof of a mature democracy and well-functioning civil society.

“The Israeli people decide in the Jewish state of Israel what should happen”

But the demonstration of a group of Dutch Jews this Sunday against Israel has nothing to do with that. These Jews do not live in Israel. They don’t pay taxes there. They don’t build that country. They and their children do not defend that country, do not have to do military service there, and do not pay the price of the ongoing Islamic conquest aggression. Their daughters are not blown up by Muslim terrorists. Here in the Netherlands they benefit from Western freedoms and achievements and let their brothers and sisters in Israel take the hot chestnuts out of the fire, as we say in Dutch. But they will demonstrate against Israeli politics on a rainy Sunday afternoon in Amsterdam. Those virtue signaling people…

           — Hat tip: GvP [Return to headlines]
 

Israel Agrees to Stop Sending Armed Guards on Holocaust Youth Trips Inside Poland

Poland and Israel have reached an agreement allowing for the resumption of Israeli youth pilgrimages to sites such as that of the Warsaw Ghetto, Kraków, and Auschwitz. The agreement covers security for the groups of young people that, the minister hopes, will avoid the need for armed Israeli security guards to be visible during the proceedings.

The agreement ensures that Israeli security agents will not be armed during the visits, after the presence of armed men guarding the trips were a previous source of tension between the Polish and Israeli governments.

Marcin Przydacz, an aide to Polish President Andrzej Duda, welcomed the agreement: “I trust the sight of armed Israeli guards in Warsaw and Krakow will now be history and that these groups will be guided safely without any provocative behavior.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Report: Saudi Arabia Increases Russian Oil Buys, Selling Pricier Saudi Oil for Profit

Saudi Arabia increased purchases of Russian diesel fuel this month, apparently for use at home while selling more expensive Saudi oil abroad.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Freed — Kidnapped Kids Putin ‘Tried to Beat the Ukrainian Out of’: Overjoyed Youngsters Embrace Family as They Finally Get Back Home After Months in Brutal Kremlin ‘Camps’ — As War Crimes Warrant Awaits Russian President for Forcing Them Over the Border

A Ukrainian charity successfully repatriated 17 children to Kyiv who had been taken to Russian-occupied territories by Moscow officials to be politically indoctrinated.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Russians ‘Fear’ Ukraine Will Launch ‘Major Offensive’ In North-East, Says UK Govt

Russian forces “fear” their Ukrainian foes are poised to launch a “major” offensive near the north-eastern front, around the Luhansk oblast of the Donbas and the Kharkiv (Kharkov) oblast, according to the British government.

In its Thursday update on the course of the war in Ukraine, Britain’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) described how “heavy fighting has continued in parts of the Svatove-Kremina sector of the front line in northern Luhansk Oblast” — which, unlike the Donetsk oblast of the Donbas, Russian forces have managed to bring almost entirely under their control.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

The West Has ‘Brought Humankind to the Brink of Nuclear Armageddon’ With Its Decision to Use Depleted Uranium Ammo in Ukraine, Says Russia’s US Envoy

Russia’s Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov was responding to statements by US officials that depleted-uranium munitions are a standard type of weapons that have been used for decades.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

TikTok CEO Vows to Congress More Teen Safety, Defiant on National Security Issue, Not China ‘Agent’

TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew told a congressional panel Thursday its owner is not an “agent” of communist-led China — amid growing U.S. concerns the immensely popular social media site is a national security threat and omnipresent danger to teens’ mental health.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

British Trans Critic Who Has Held Fiery Protests Australia Considers Moving Here — After Lidia Thorpe Gatecrashed Her Demonstration and Told Her She’s ‘Not Welcome on Aboriginal Land’

The ‘pro women’ campaigner spoke to Daily Mail Australia to mark the end of her national tour, revealing she felt ‘frightened’ and disheartened by what she saw.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Indigenous Leader Slams Anthony Albanese Over His ‘Crocodile Tears’ After the PM Broke Down Five Times While Revealing the Exact Voice to Parliament Question Every Single Australian Will Vote on

Indigenous leader Warren Mundine has said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s ‘ tears were disingenuous while making a historic announcement about the indigenous Voice to Parliament.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Sickening Video Emerges of One of the Girls Accused of Torturing a 13-Year-Old Allegedly Bashing Another Victim on a Bus — as Accused Trio Mock Vigilantes Who Threatened to Burn Down Their Houses

One of the girls accused of ‘torturing’ a 13-year-old after allegedly luring her to a ‘fake party’ has also been charged over a sickening assault just six days earlier.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

The Secret ‘Agenda for the Voice’: Powerful Indigenous Group Allegedly Leaves Behind a 11-Point Note at a Café — and You Won’t Believe What is Proposed if the Referendum Gets Up

The One Nation senator claims she was contacted by a concerned member of the public after he found a document in Canberra left behind by a group from the National Indigenous Australians Agency.

           — Hat tip: SS [Return to headlines]
 

Dutch Government Scrambles to Find New Accommodation for 60,000 Asylum Seekers as Temporary Residence Contracts Expire

The Dutch government needs to acquire 2,000 more asylum reception centers across the country just to cater for last year’s influx of new arrivals as contracts for temporary accommodation with private entities begin to lapse.

During a recent digital consultation between the Secretary of State for Security Eric van der Burg and the 25 mayors who sit on the Dutch Security Council, tens of thousands of asylum seekers in the country will soon be displaced should the government not find suitable accommodation.

“About 60,000 permanent places for asylum seekers are needed in the Netherlands, but structural shelter has not yet been arranged. It is, therefore, clear that emergency shelter is still unavoidable,” Council Chairman, Hubert Bruls revealed.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

French Mayor in Support of New Asylum Center in Seaside Town Has His House Burned Down

The house of a left-wing mayor in France, who supports a controversial plan to establish an asylum center in the small seaside town of Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, has been burned down in a suspected arson attack.

Police were called to the residence of Yannick Morez early on Wednesday morning after his home and two vehicles were destroyed in the blaze.

The left-wing mayor, who described the attack as “cowardly and unacceptable,” expressed his gratitude to neighbors for alerting him to the fire, which he said could have had “more dramatic consequences.”

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Illegal Immigrant Convicted in Fatal Stabbing After Deportation From UK Stopped by Labour MPs, Celebrities

Ernesto Elliott, a Jamaican criminal, who managed to avoid deportation with the help of UK Labour MPs and celebrities, committed murder six months later, The Daily Mail reports.

Elliott was supposed to leave the United Kingdom on a Home Office charter flight in December 2020 but was able to dodge the removal process thanks to last-minute human rights appeals.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Netherlands: Asylum Seeker Accused of Killing Therapist Tied to Two Other Murders: Report

Those in the Netherlands in life threatening danger should immediately dial 112 for emergency services. Anyone suffering from depression or contemplating suicide may call 113 Zelfmoordpreventie at any time by dialing either 113 or 0800-0113. Counselors at De Luisterlijn may also be reached at 088-0767000, or volunteers may be reached at one of their local numbers. A list of suicide crisis hotlines outside the Netherlands is available on Wikipedia.

A Nigerian asylum seeker who attacked three employees in the Veldzicht Center for Transcultural Psychiatry in Balkbrug in November last year, killing one of them, previously killed two people in Nigeria and Libya, “well-informed sources” told De Telegraaf.

On November 5 last year, the man attacked three employees of the Veldzicht center with a knife. He killed a therapist and seriously injured two women before taking his own life. The Inspectorate investigation into the incident is still underway, so the Ministry of Justice and the clinic refused to comment to the newspaper.

But sources told De Telegraaf that the 31-year-old man from Nigeria killed an uncle in the African country in 2014. He then fled to Lybia, where he killed another man, who failed to pay him for work he did, he told the police during an interrogation.

In 2017, the man fled from Libya to Italy, where he applied for asylum without success. He then ended up in the Netherlands that same year after traveling through Austria and Germany.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

US Secures Deal With Canada to Return Illegal Migrants Crossing Northern Border

The United States and Canada have reached an agreement to allow both countries to turn away migrants who cross illegally at the northern U.S. border, a U.S. official confirmed to Fox News Digital on Thursday.

The deal is set to be announced Friday by President Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who are meeting in Ottawa.

The agreement will mean that migrants who attempt to cross illegally between ports of entry into either country will be returned, which officials anticipate will deter irregular migration at the U.S.-Canada border.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Breaking: World Athletics Bans Trans Biolgogical Male Athletes From Women’s Sports

World Athletics has banned trans-identified male athletes from competing in female categories in international events.

The international governing body’s president, Lord Sebastian Coe, said that no athlete who had gone through male puberty would be permitted to compete in female world ranking competitions as of March 31, reports the BBC.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Canadian Trans Activists Stop Donations to Food Bank After Trans Board Member Defends Parents’ Free Speech Rights

Canadian trans activists are calling for a boycott of an Ontario food bank after one of its board members spoke out in support of an Ottawa father who raised concerns about males in female spaces at his daughter’s school.

Open Sesame, an online “progressive” book store, announced they would be pausing donations to the Food Bank of Waterloo as long as trans-identified male director Julia Malott sits on the board.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

I Don’t Understand

Congratulations to 46-year-old Tiffany Thomas, who is is dominating female cycling despite only getting involved after turning 40.

She went from beginner to elite in 5 years and is trouncing competitors half her age.

I just can’t figure out why. Must be amazing natural talent!

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

‘LGBTQ+ Rights Are a Core Part of Our Foreign Policy,’ National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby Says

Advancing “LGBTQ+ rights” is a “core part” of America’s foreign policy, National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby announced during a press conference at the White House on Tuesday.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Top Female Cyclist Quits Sport Over Transgender Athletes: ‘I Lose No Matter How Hard I Train’

A top female cyclist has announced that she’s quitting her sport after being forced to compete against biological male transgender athletes.

Hannah Arensman, a 35-time winner on the national cyclocross circuit, issued a heartbreaking statement in an amicus brief filed to the Supreme Court over the sport’s transgender policy.

She revealed that she has been forced to end her career as it has become impossible to beat men who are competing as women.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

Trans Flight Attendant Featured in United Airlines Ad Commits Suicide

A transgender flight attendant who appeared in an ad from United Airlines about diversity and inclusion reportedly committed suicide this week.

Kayleigh Scott, 25, committed suicide after making an emotional post on social media.

           — Hat tip: Reader from Chicago [Return to headlines]
 

14 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 3/23/2023

  1. .
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    We need a credible explanation for excess mortality

    24/3-23

    Isn’t death a rather serious side effect?

    By Peder Jensen (Fjordman) / snaphanen.dk

    The online magazine Forskning.no writes about side effects after the COVID-19 vaccines. They quote Gunnveig Grødeland, vaccine researcher at Oslo University and Oslo University Hospital. Grødeland says,

    “What is crystal clear from all this data is that serious side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine are very rare”.

    A well-established principle in the philosophy of science is called Occam’s Razor. It is named after the English monk and philosopher William Ockham, who was active in the first half of the 14th century. In short, Ockham’s razor means that one should use the simplest possible explanation for the available data. There may be cases where the simplest explanatory model is not the right one, but very often it is the sound and valid principle.

    Following the rapid deployment of billions of doses of mRNA-based vaccines against the COVID-19 coronavirus, many countries have simultaneously seen significant excess mortality over an extended period of time. Interestingly, several of these countries have also seen a statistically significant decrease in birth rates over the same period. I asked for explanations for this excess mortality in January 2023.

    Official figures from the Finnish authorities show that more Finns died in 2022 than since 1944, the last full year of World War II. In other words, Finland has not had a higher mortality rate since the last world war.

    At the same time a large excess mortality was reported in a number of countries around the world, from Australia to the Netherlands. In the UK, official statistics show that there were 9% more deaths in 2022 than in 2019. This international health crisis is largely met with a shrug by our governments and media. They would rather talk about it as little as possible.

    It is claimed that serious side effects of corona vaccines are very rare. Yet at least 50,000 people died in the UK alone from unexplained excess mortality in 2022.

    The number of deaths in the world in the last year may well be several hundred thousand people. Isn’t death a pretty serious side effect?

    There is a growing body of information suggesting that mortality rates are highest where the proportion of people vaccinated against coronavirus is highest.

    It is a perfectly valid hypothesis that experimental mRNA-based coronavirus injections have directly contributed to the large excess mortality seen in many countries, including Norway, in 2022. This hypothesis provides at least as good an explanation for the available data as alternative hypotheses.

    It is puzzling that the same people who refuse to address this possibility do not actually present a credible alternative hypothesis. The health authorities themselves state that the majority of excess mortality seen by the end of 2022 is not due to the COVID-19 coronavirus.

    Rejecting valid hypotheses just because you don’t like them is a fundamental violation of scientific theory and method. Yet health authorities across the Western world are now doing just that.

    This issue is also not about a thesis in scientific theory. It is about the lives and health of millions of people.

    I would like to pose the following question to vaccine researcher Gunnveig Grødeland, but also to doctors and health authorities in many countries:

    Why do you refuse to take seriously the possibility that mRNA-based coronavirus injections may be the main cause of the huge international excess mortality? It should be remembered that RNA-based vaccines had never before been used on a large scale in humans. Then, billions of doses of such experimental genetic engineering have been administered within a couple of years.

    This is probably the biggest medical experiment in human history, conducted without the people who received these injections having any idea of the long-term consequences for their health. Why then is it ridiculous to ask whether these hastily developed and experimental vaccines could cause serious health damage or death in a significant number of people?

    Finally, one must again ask for alternative explanations:
    If the international excess mortality is not due to the corona vaccines, what is it due to?

    The problem is very real. Health authorities have an ethical and professional obligation to identify the causes of this health crisis and make concrete recommendations on how to solve it.

    • “Why do you refuse to take seriously the possibility that mRNA-based coronavirus injections may be the main cause of the huge international excess mortality?”

      Because the “doctors” have become a corporate business not interested in health of the patients but in the money they can make.

      The smoking gun for me was when they locked people inside and discouraged people from going outside, to get some sunshine and vitamin D. That should have been the basis of all “Covid Treatment”, strenghtening the immune systems, and if Covid kills most of the fat people, then excercise…

      No, not interested!

      “We will rather pump you with our expensive chemicals and make some money!”

      Now they can’t but play hide and seek.

      https://www.corbettreport.com/rockefeller-medicine-video/

  2. .
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    No one wants to defend Western civilisation

    By Lars Hedegaard / snaphanen.dk

    The Chinese communist regime has chosen to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Western invasion of Iraq with an article in the government organ Global Times triumphantly announcing that China is taking power in the country that Western supporters of the war promised to make free and democratic.

    Chinese companies are now at the forefront of Iraq’s infrastructure, transport and school construction. At the same time, they are consolidating Beijing’s grip on the country, and the Chinese Communists are not exactly known for their love of freedom and democracy. Nor are they known for tolerating civil disobedience.

    The authors of the Global Times article emphasise that China has more far-reaching plans than just tinkering with bricks and mortar. It is about spreading China’s political and cultural influence. And it fits well with the fact that China has taken over the US’s former role as a major Middle Eastern power – a role that the Biden administration has abandoned with open eyes.

    So this is what Danish soldiers sacrificed their lives and health for.

    It is depressing every morning to wake up to the international news. Everywhere the West and Western culture are in retreat, while the media are preoccupied with pesudo events such as ‘climate’, ‘racism’, the plight of women, the joys of eating insects and grown men acting out their sexual fantasies by showing their perversions to small children.

    All while the West, economically, culturally and in terms of power politics, rushes to the bottom. It is no wonder that Russia, China, Iran and North Korea are looking forward to the imminent demise of our civilisation.

    A few decades ago, historians would have drawn links between today’s decadence and the fall of the Roman Empire without blinking. A civilisation falls when people stop thinking it is worth preserving, and that is where we are today.

    The future is easy to predict. It is more difficult to explain why we have ended up in a situation where we don’t think freedom is worth fighting for.

    I have been working on a manuscript on this very issue for some time, but I realise that it is difficult to provide a convincing explanation. Maybe I can’t even convince myself, and maybe I won’t make it. Or maybe it doesn’t matter, because why spend time on a civilisation that is working daily on its demise?

    • I agree, for I am also not willing to defend this “civilisation”.

      Babylon is the glory of kingdoms, but every once in a while there comes a time when the high positions in Babylon get occupied by stupid evil people, and that’s the time good people will do best to just let it rot and fall, so that a new fresh tree can grow in it’s stead.

      And I am of the opinion that that time is fast approaching.

      ***

      Revelation 18 – And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 2And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 3For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. 4And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 5For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

      • And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

        And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

        — Matthew 7:26-27

        • I am struggling to figure out what you meant by this quote, whether it is a polite way of saying that I am a foolish man, or something else?

          • I am saying that I agree with you. The house built on sand is like Babylon from the passage you quoted from Revelation.

            Modern Western Civilization is a house built on sand.

          • thank you, I am so used to disagreements that I struggle when someone agrees with me 🙂

            Yeah, great will be the fall of it, for it will fall from a great height.

    • One doesn’t need a single Bible quote, only to read the Quran to know that any attempt at exporting Western-style democracy™ to islamic lands is a fool’s errand to begin with. And with tragic consequences to anyone getting in harm’s way on all sides. The Chinese at least aren’t subscribing to any illusions about it, they want the resources under the sand and have no need to fake concern for individual human rights. After all, they got their own style of brutal collectivism. Muslims respect them since from their point of view they consider the Chinese unconquerable. And this is what the West no longer represents. It’s just fecklessly piling up body bags with no rhyme or reason. That’s even worse than starting a war for conquest.

      • I don’t know but there may be a little misunderstanding of the bible quote, for when we speak of Babylon we don’t mean the middle eastern ruins but global civilisation in general.

        Babylon is the source of that which we call civilisation. Reading, writing, arithmetic, buildings with more than one storey, money and banking, etc.

        But “civilisation” is a system of cooperation between individuals who don’t know each other but must trust each other nevertheless. Or the buildings start to fall, and the money will disappear…

        That’s what the fall of Babylon, at least in my mind, represents: Total disintegration of the “trust” that keeps civilisation together.

        And the middle eastern adventures of the USA and the EU are just one part of the overall decay of our civilisation, that may fall one day like Babylon had fallen.

        • I understand that, and while I lean towards a rather metaphorical interpretation of Babylon as the origin of the civilization known to us, it doesn’t really matter. Legends often have their roots in history, and this may even apply the other way around when people make decisions based on beliefs which run counter to experiencable truth. The disintegration of trust is very palpable all around us today, indeed. Heck, we can’t even agree on what is real on the most fundamental level. For physicists this means healthy debate and eventual progress, for politics it is a dangerously toxic brew. While reading everything with a portion of skepticism, I think Oswald Spengler’s idea of civilizations having a lifecycle not unlike many things in nature is not entirely off. There are inevitable mutations between its generations, and the thought alone hurts our sense of identity and desire for continuity.

          • Strong men create good times.
            Good times create weak men.
            Weak men create bad times.
            Bad times, create Strong men.
            Strong men create good times, thus as it ever was.

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